Apparatus for and method of producing compressed gas



1933- l. H. LEVIN 1,921,531 1 APPARATUS FOR AND METHOD OF PRODUCINGCOMPRESSED GAS Filed Feb. 3, 1932 ZSheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR N nu N I l)"4| JA All I. H. LEVIN Aug. 8, 1933.

APPARATUS FOR AND METHOD OF PRODUCING COMPRESSED GAS Filed Fb. 3, 1952 2Sheets-Sheefi 2 I INVENTOR Mimi/44 444 25 cation.

Patented Aug. 8, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE arrmrus FOR AND mrrnon01' moq DUCING COMPRESSED ens Isaac 11. Kevin, menu-11, Pa. ApplicationFebruary a, 1932. Serial No. 590,673

10Claims.

The present invention relates to apparatus for and method of producingcompressed gas, and more especially to the filling of gas containers athigh pressure by means of the self pressure generat d by thevaporization of a liquefied gas, such as gen, nitrogen, or the like. Y

The liquefiedgas, such as liquefied oxygen, is poured into a vaporizerconsisting of an-inner vessel which is supported within an outerpressure vessel. The inner vessel has'a small open ingthrough its bottomwhich allows the liquefied gas to pass into the space between the innerand outer vessels. With this arrangement, as hereinafter more fullydescribed, the waste of the liquefied gas during the filling of thevaporizer is kept to a minimum, but after the vaporizer is closed thevaporization proceeds at a relatively rapid rate, producing theregasified gas at high pressure for charging the usual gas-containing gopressure cylinders.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation, partly in my preferredapparatus, and

Figure 2 is a similar view illustrating a modifisection, of

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention,

. reference numeral 1 indicatesgenerally the vaporizer for receivingtheliquefled gas, and reference numeral 2 indicates the usual pressurecontainers or'cylinders in which the highly com-' pressed gas isshipped. The gas, is usually shipped in the cylinders 2 at pressures ofabout 2200 pounds to the square inch. This pressure is secured by theself pressure of vaporization of a liquefied gas which is poured intothe vaporizer 1 at atmospheric pressure. The liquefied gas,

such as liquefied oxygen, nitrogen, air or similar gas, is poured intothe vaporizer 1. After the liquefied gas is poured in, thevaporizer-isclosed, vaporization takes place, and the cylinders 2 arefilled with the regasified liquefied gas at a high pressure.

For economical operation the loss of gas due to evaporation during thefilling of the vaporizer should be kept to a minimum, but after thevaporizer is closed, vaporization should proceed at a relatively rapidrate so that the gas cylinders 2 can be expeditiously charged.

Referring now in more detail to the embodiment of the invention asillustrated in the drawings, the vaporizer 1- comprises an outermetalvessel 3 within which is supported an inner metal vessel 4. The outervessel 3 is made to withstand pressures of 2250 pounds or over. Thevessel 3 filling of the inner vessel 4 is minimized. As can,

is closed by a gas-tight cover 5 held in place by a clampin head 6.

The inner vessel 4 is preferably in the form of a stemless funnel,having a small opening '1 through its bottom. The stemless funnel orin-' ner vessel 415 made of very light sheet metal and has a smallthermal capacity. It is supported within and spaced from the outervessel 3 by means of legs 8 ofsmall cross-section and therefore of smallheat conductivity. The top of the inner vessel 4 is spaced'from theclosure 5 so that heat cannot be lost by metallic conduction from thevessel 3 to the closure plate 5; g The vaporizer is filled withliquefied gas by means of an inlet pipe 10 closed by a valve 11. Anoutlet pipe 12 for leading the gas from the vaporizer 1 to the shippingcylinders 2 is tapped off from the pipe 10. The outlet pipe 12 isprovided with a main shut-ofi valve 13. From the outlet pipe are runbranch pipes 14 to each of the gas cylinders 2. Vaives 15 are providedin the branch pipes 14. The pressure cylinders 2 have the usual valves16. f

The operation of the apparatus will now be described with particularreference to the embodiment shown in Figure 1. The liquefied gas, suchas liquefied oxygen, is poured from some transfer container, such as theusual vacuum bottle, through the inlet pipe 10 into the inner vessel orstemless funnel 4. As soon as the proper charge of liquefied gas ispoured into the stem- I lessfunnel 4, the valve 11 is closed and thevalves 13, 15 and 16 are opened. As 'soon as the first liquid gasreaches the bottom of the stemless funnel 4, it begins to tricklethrough the bottom opening 'I and comes in contact .with the outervessel 3. The outer vessel 3, which is exposedtotheatmosphere, isrelatively warm compared to the liquefied gas, and the liquefied gaswhich trickles through the opening 7 is immediately tween the inner andouter vessels. This vaporized gas is, of course, intensely cold andserves immediately to chill the walls of the stemless funnel. The wallsof the innervessel or stemless funnel 4 are thin and therefore havesmall thermal capacity. The vaporization of liquid within the innervemel 4 is kept at a minimum, and the useless boiling oil and wasting ofgas during the readily be seen, the vaporized gas is generated at thebottom of the vaporizer where the liquefied gas trickles through theopening 7 against the bottom of the outer container 4. The intensely Ucold vaporized gas rises'in the annular space 20 110 2. Since theliquefied gas is expelling the warm air and forming an intensely coldinsulating sheath around the inner vessel d.

The filling of the vaporizer by meansof the usual vacuum bottle, or, ifdesired, by pipe connection, occupies but a few minutes, and because ofthe construction as described the loss of gas by vaporization within thestemless funnel 4 is kept at a After the vaporizer is filled and thevalve 11 closed and the valves 13, 15 and 16 are opened, the usefulvaporization takes place. The liquefied gas is discharged by gravitythrough the opening '7. As the liquefied gas passes into the space 20between the inner and outer vessels, this space becomes very active froma heat transfer standpoint. The walls of the outer vessel 3 become cold.The difference in temperature between the walls of the vessel 3 and theatmosphere becomes very large. The heat transfer therefore becomes, alsolarge and the liquefied gas is rapi y vaporized and passes through thedischarge pipe 12 into the pressure containers discharged by thestemless funnel into direct contact with the exposed outer vessel 3,vaporization begins almost immediately and even before any considerablepressure is built up within the vaporizer.

When the liquefied gas is completely vaporized and the shippingcontainers 2 are filled with compressed gas, an empty set of shippingcontainers 2 is attached and the operation repeated.

If it is-desired to conserve the compressed gas which remains in thevaporizer, the valve 13 may be closed before the shipping containers aredisconnected. After another set of shipping containers are connected,the valve 13 may be opened to allow the residual compressed gas from thevaporizer to fiow into the shipping containers. The valve 13 is thenclosed, the valve 11 opened, and afresh supply of liquefied gas pouredinto the vaporizer, whereupon a new set of the containers 2 may befilled with the gas under pressure.

In Figure 2 there is illustrated a modification. 'The vaporizer 1'consists of an outer vessel'3 and inner vessel 4 arranged as in Figure1,'together with a heated outlet pipe 30 in which the greater part ofthe vaporization takes place. The vessel 3 is enclosed in an insulatingpacking 31 which serves .to keep heat from the vessel 3 and to furtherminimize boiling and wasting of the gas during the filling operation.The outlet pipe 30 is connected to the bottom of the vessel 3 to receiveliquefied gas as it is discharged from the bottom opening '7 of thestemless funnel 4. A heater, shown as an electric heating coil 32, givescontrolled heating and vaporization of the liquefied gas as. it passesthrough the pipe 30. In operating the device the valve 13 is normallyclosed. The inner vessel or stemless funnel 4 is filled through theinlet pipe 10*, after'which the. valve 11 is closed and the valve 33opened. The liquefied gas passes to the pipe 30 and is vaporized thereinand passes as a vaporized compressed gas into the containers 2.

While I have specifically illustrated and described the preferredembodimnt of my invention, it is to be understood that the invention isnot so limited,'but may be otherwise embodied andpracticed within thescope of the following claims.

I claim: V

1. A vaporizer for liquefied gases, comprising an outer vessel,. aninner vessel supported within and spaced from the outer vessel and,adapted to be filled with a liquefied gas and having a restrictedopening adjacent its bottom for discharging liquefied gas into the spacebetween the irmer and outer vessels.

2. A vaporizer for liquefied gases, comprising an outer vessel, an innervessel supported within and spaced from the outer vessel and adapted tobe filled with a liquefied'gas and having a restricted opening fordischarging liquefied gas into the space between the inner and outervessels, a closure at the top of the outer vessel spaced away from thetop of the inner vessel, an inlet fied gas to vaporize it and conductingthe vaporizedgas to a pressure container to be filled, an inner vesselsupported within the outer vessel and spaced from the walls thereof andhaving a restricted outlet at its bottom for discharging liquefied gasinto the-space between the inner and outer vessels, and means forintroducing liquefied gas into the inner vessel.

4. Apparatus for vaporizing liquefied gases under pressure, comprisingan outer vessel directly exposed to receive heat through the wallsthereof, an inner vessel supported within and spaced from the outervessel and adapted to be filled with a liquefied gas and having arestricted opening adjacent its bottom for discharging liquefied gasinto the space between the,innei' and outer vessel.

5. Apparatus for vaporizing liquefied gases unmeans for heating the gasas it fiows through the v outlet.

6. The process of vaporizing a liquefied gas under pressure, whichcomprises filling a vessel spaced apart from and enclosed within anouter pressure-resisting vessel, causing the liquefied gas to bedischarged as a liquid from the inner vessel into the space between it.and the outer vessel, and subjecting the gas so discharged to heat so asto vaporize it under pressure, and leading the gas thus vaporized whileunder pressure to a container to be filled with compressed 'l. Avaporizer for liquefied gases, comprising an outer vessel, an innervessel supported within and spaced from the outer vessel and adapted tobe filled with a liquefied'gas and having a restricted opening adjacentits bottomfor discharging liquefied gas into the space between the innerand outer vessels, a closure at the top of the outer vessel spacedawayfrom the top of the inner vessel, an inlet for filling the inner.

vessel with liquefied-gas, and an outlet for leading the vaporized gasfrom the vaporizer.

fied gas and having a restricted opening for discharging liquefied gasinto the space between the mner and outer vessels, and an outlet forleading space between the inner and outer vessels, a pipe leading fromsaid space to a container to be filled with compressed gas, and anelectric heating pipe.

means for heating the gas as it flows through said 10. The process ofvaporizing a liquefied gas under pressure, which comprises filling avessel spaced apart from and enclosed within an outer pressure resistingvessel, discharging the liquefied gas from the inner vessel into thespace between it and the outer vessel, and heating the liquefied gas sodischarged to vaporize it while leading it under pressure to a containerto be filled with compressed gas.

- I ISAAC H. LEVIN.

